This Time, Don't Let Go Again.

Jiang Rongyue remained silent. The two people who had just been at the table had vanished like phantoms after saying goodbye, leaving only the still-warm books on the table, a wrinkled inkwell, and... the brilliant arcs of light that had fallen near their seats.

All of this intertwines to create an unforgettable scent, piling up into a vivid past in the attic of memory.

Tome of Cangxuan sat at the table, pastries still stained her lips. She was no longer the chattering girl she used to be; her usually smiling face had become quiet.

Early in the morning, Xiao Xuan learned of the reality that the two had decided to leave.

This is a journey that may be incredibly short, or it may be incredibly long.

She realized that she had never actually been separated from Chi Yuan for very long while in a conscious state.

Has it ever happened even once?

Except for its slumber after its power was exhausted during the Tang Dynasty, the Tome of Cangxuan has never left its owner.

From the moment Xiao Xuan was born, he was determined to accompany and take care of Chi Yuan.

She was not a heartless doll; over time, she truly came to be like Chi Yuan's sister.

Separation?

Xiao Xuan had never thought about such a question before, but when she actually encountered it, besides feeling disappointed, she also felt a subtle sense of relief.

Chi Yuan... seems to be gradually starting to live for herself.

Therefore, this Armed Puppet is more concerned about the thoughts of others than its own.

Jiang Rongyue touched her head, the spot where the immortal had gently stroked before leaving. She could still vaguely feel the warmth and faint fragrance of that time, and the lingering words of advice and farewell were still clear. When her consciousness was swept up in a wave of thoughts, she could still vaguely recall the trivial matters that her master had mentioned intentionally or unintentionally in the past few days.

Looking back now, it seems they had probably already planned to stay away for a long time, allowing me to take over the affairs of Mount Taixu.

Jiang Rongyue did not feel resentment, nor did she feel the sadness of being abandoned.

She knew very well that her master left because of Su Qing'an, but she also understood that if it weren't for the young man's interference, she would not have had any connection with Mount Taixu.

Even if this period of less than half a year was the only time spent with the immortal, it was still a gift given by fate.

The girl just... didn't know how to express her emotions.

It was as if a snowfall, unseen by anyone, had fallen from the heavens, slowly piling up to form a Mount Taixu devoid of Chi Yuan and the boy, its chill seeping into the heart and making every part of the body feel slightly cool.

Disappointment, loneliness.

Jiang Rongyue hadn't experienced similar emotions in a long time, and she turned to look at the scenery outside Fuyun Temple.

As always Cloud Cliff Sea and the rolling mountains present a vast and magnificent landscape, with the high-hanging clouds and the sky seemingly within reach.

But it was only at this moment that she suddenly realized... that Mount Taixu was so vast.

Clearly, just by the departure of two people, the entire world suddenly seemed to expand, adding a sense of loneliness and desolation.

What makes a home a home.

It's mostly because there are people who can be called family, so they stay and wait for each other.

The girl thought that her master must have experienced countless partings in his life.

Over the past few thousand years, she must have had people who could be considered family.

But all of this fades with time, like embers soaking in a cold pool. The warmth of the past will become like black impurities settling on the surface, obscuring the honest and passionate heart and covering it with a cold barrier.

From this point on, a distance and a separation arose between immortals and mortals.

How long can I stay with my master?

Although she was still depressed, Jiang Rongyue found another reason to establish the mountain gate.

A reason that has nothing to do with the original thoughts, but only with the desires of the heart.

If a sect or clan exists that can endure for hundreds or even thousands of years, would the master also be able to sense the meaning of the passage of time?

Human power is meaningless to him.

Worldly praise is even less important.

Without his Grand Martial Uncle, the Immortal Chi Yuan would not have accepted him as a disciple, and it would be even more difficult to know the extent to which his heart would be sealed away.

She thought that mortal lifespans are ultimately finite.

If one could give that person a gift that would last a very long time before their life ends, that would be wonderful.

Li Shishi's emotions didn't last long. She had long known that separation would eventually come, and she had made similar mental preparations before coming to Mount Taixu. She was only saddened for a moment before she composed herself.

The girl hugged the ancient bronze sword that was the only thing the other person had left behind. Following the gaze of the person beside her, she looked into the distance, and finally her gaze settled on the little girl sitting in the chair in a daze. She didn't know what the little girl was thinking, so she couldn't help but reach out and pat the child's head.

Li Shishi felt the silk-like strands of her black hair flowing through her fingers and smiled.

A strange sense of pride suddenly welled up in her chest.

Jiang Rongyue, you are younger than me.

With the kindness and gentleness of an elder, the young girl gently pinched the man's cheek and said:

"Didn't you want to help Sister Chi Yuan? Now that you've obtained the Qi Technique for escaping the maze, why don't you start today?"

"They'll be very surprised when they get back and find out."

Jiang Rongyue came to her senses and did not resist Li Shishi's intimacy.

After all, once you've developed the habit of soaking in hot springs together, this level of intimacy is hardly significant anymore.

The girl's gaze lingered on the man's eyes and brows, then swept over the upward curve of his lips and the gleam in his blinking pupils, and she asked:

"Will you come with me?"

Li Shishi was speechless for a moment. She instinctively wanted to go against the other party, but she realized that she seemed to have no other way out except to stay with Jiang Rongyue.

According to the agreement with Su Su, he was still far from meeting the standard of being able to travel the world alone.

At this time, it would be a foolish act for someone to walk out of Mount Taixu and leisurely travel aimlessly through the war-torn Shenzhou of China.

Not only would it be difficult to follow one's original intention to see local customs and beautiful scenery, but one's own safety and chastity would also be in great danger.

After all, she was a well-known Courtesan in Zhen'an Ward, the Capital City, and was protected by limited laws and regulations. No matter how alluring her beauty was, she still had room to maneuver.

But if one were to plunge headlong into the chaos of war, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Like most people, Li Shishi becomes more mature and calm as she grows up. She weighs the pros and cons and the future, and chooses the best solution that best suits the current situation between ideals and visions, reality and the state of the world.

The world is full of ups and downs, like a giant dye vat.

Sixteen years old.

This was the age when this Courtesan still retained a few remnants of innocence and extravagant hopes. If she had met Su Qing'an a few years later, she might not have been selected by the Mona Shi.

The Li Shishi of today has forged a new path and Karma with the person she was meant to be, but she is still not a pure child with only aspirations; she has a very strong sense of crisis.

Realizing there was no room for arrogance, the girl simply made a quiet, joking protest against the situation:

"... If Rongyue lets me touch your Stigmata Tiāntiān, I'll keep you company."

Jiang Rongyue paused for a moment, but answered naturally:

"Yes, I can transfer the right to freely use that part of my body to you."

Li Shishi fell silent.

After soaking in the hot springs together several times, she knew the location of the Stigmata like the back of her hand. Specifically, these strange and eerie Crimson Pattern were located on the spine, with the ends almost extending to the tailbone. Further down were subtle areas that were difficult to describe in detail.

Moreover, having witnessed it firsthand, the images conjured by their imagination tend to go wild.

This sudden and arbitrary granting of control left her momentarily at a loss.

And...

Jiang Rongyue's words sound really off.

No, thinking about it this way, isn't it also strange of me to make such a request?

Li Shishi stammered and hurriedly said:

"There's... there's no need to be so... so generous."

The girl tried to make amends for her careless remark.

She knew that with her personality, if the other party didn't take back what she said, she would eventually succumb to her curiosity and touch the Stigmata.

But no matter how I try, I'm bound to accidentally drop it.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Rongyue simply picked up the piece of paper left behind by the young man, grabbed his sleeve, and walked towards the corridor outside Fuyun Temple, giving a curt reply:

"It's okay, I don't mind."

"As long as you're with me, that's enough."

Li Shishi immediately felt that these words were extremely damaging. She turned her face away and muttered:

"Are you stupid? Su Su said I'm not ready to leave the mountain yet. Before that, I can only go out with you. Why did you agree to such a strange condition?"

"Moreover, if Mount Taixu truly establishes a widespread influence throughout the world, it will be much more convenient for me to travel in the future."

The distant sea of clouds and cliffs are bathed in the setting sun, and the babbling river falls like scattered fireworks.

A strong wind blew, and the bamboo forest swayed.

Jiang Rongyue listened to the murmurs of those around her, while the Courtesan, whose sleeve was being tugged, held the sword engraved with history, and the Tome of Cangxuan swayed in mid-air. She looked at the two who had composed themselves and smiled.

Time flows on, and comes to a standstill here.

Long, long afterward, this scene will never be forgotten by the boy who lives in the sky.

Su Qing'an returned the Udu-dust in his palm to the immortal beside him and said softly:

"Let's go. A few years will only make them more mature."

"With Xiao Xuan by my side, I probably won't feel lonely."

Fu Hua was silent for a moment, then nodded in response:

"Good."

The next day.

Not far from the end of the Taihang Mountains, a small, crescent-shaped mountain range continues to stretch for hundreds of miles before abruptly ending.

This is a natural chasm left behind by a natural disaster during the Warring States period. The originally bottomless crack was completely eliminated by the immortals with their ability to move mountains and fill seas.

However, as the Immortal Chi Yuan traveled along, he used Udu-dust to search for nearby people using keywords, only to find that no one had any recollection of this history from back then, and they had never even heard of this conspicuous mountain range.

Without utilizing this information, Su Qing'an could clearly discover a problem that only she could immediately understand.

This location is roughly as I initially suspected, currently in a state of being partially compromised by [Personal Record].

Initially, when the distance was very far, the vast area of the Honkai territory could not detect the existence of the mountain. However, as one approached to a certain distance, it gradually became fully revealed to the world.

Karma and effect, and reality, oscillate between distortion and normalcy.

The past and history gradually merged as Su Qing'an drew near.

Schrodinger's Lostbelt.

The boy clearly understood that this was a bubble that could burst at any moment. If left unchecked, given the current limits of his [Personal Record] intervention, it would eventually vanish again with his departure.

However, if we allow the distorted Karma to continue to exist, it may cause unnecessary disasters and anomalies.

Moreover, Su Qing'an also had to consider the premonition given by the Manas consciousness.

If this World Bubble truly shatters like a phantom after I leave, the interference of disordered rules and the Proper World itself will likely trigger a chaotic war.

Regardless of the outcome, others will pay the price for their actions.

Before deciding to come here, the boy knew he couldn't choose to desert his post.

But only after arriving here did he truly understand that he had been forced into a bizarre tug-of-war.

However, considering that these are the results of their own resurrection, and the large number of demons that can potentially become resources in the World Bubble, entering the Lostbelt is itself very necessary.

Only...

Su Qing'an sensed the incredibly chaotic and disordered quantum fluctuations between the entrance areas of this place. Based on the limited knowledge he had acquired, entering such a place would be extremely risky.

Fu Hua had obviously anticipated this, as she vaguely remembered entering this World Bubble. She could only recall that she was inside for a few days, while seven years had passed in the outside world.

Even if the authenticity of this memory is debatable, it still has reference value at this time.

Seven years is far too long for people of this era.

If possible, no one would willingly face the stagnation of their own time and the rapid changes of the outside world during the vibrant stage of trying to connect with the outside world.

She asked:

Is there a way to pinpoint the time?

Su Qing'an pondered for a moment and replied:

"Yes, but it's not very meaningful. No matter when you enter, the time flow you encounter will be roughly the same, about 30,000 to 70,000 times? Maybe even higher."

"The flow of time in your memory, under the Karma evolution of 'thousands of years,' has become such that a single day inside is enough to cause drastic changes in the outside world."

"Furthermore, if we travel from the inside to the outside through the same unstable exit, the time spent inside will not be proportionally reflected on the outside."

Whether this is due to the lack of a corresponding anchor point or because the existence of this World Bubble itself is illogical is no longer important at the moment.

Su Qing'an said earnestly:

"But we can start with the source of this World Bubble."

"Previous discoveries seem to confirm that our previous conjectures were probably correct. If this is due to the illusion created by my [Personal Record], then setting aside the outward appearances of the World Bubble and the Sea of Quantum, its essence is an extension of my Karma."

Following his train of thought, Fu Hua asked:

"You want to actively interfere with your own [Personal Record]?"

That makes sense.

Logically, if Su Qing'an were in a complete state, it wouldn't be difficult for him to manually trace back these passively lost records.

Rather, unless the boy himself is willing, [Personal Record] would not arbitrarily interfere with the Proper World in such a disorderly manner.

This was something that should have been kept hidden within the [Stigmata], but due to the damage to the Manas consciousness and the fall from the Ascended State, the matching outer shell was broken, causing the [Personal Record] to escape to the outside world.

Su Qing'an was unable to use his Manas consciousness, but that did not mean he had lost all control over these things that belonged to him.

He nodded and said:

"If, at the moment of its complete destruction, one were to try to follow this trend and erase the Karma left over from the previous era through recycling."

However, as long as it is erased in the form of a record retrieval, whether it is the natural barrier itself, Fu Hua's memories, or Lord Wu'a Bai Qi who can single-handedly dominate the battlefield, the original historical trajectory can be restored, and micro-management can be carried out at the same time.

In the most extreme cases, it can even erase the reality that the two people entered the World Bubble to nothingness, reaching the complete convergence of Karma.

However, given that Su Qing'an hasn't even fully recovered her memories, trying to achieve this is clearly wishful thinking.

As for the extent to which backtracking can be achieved, whether the concepts one has swallowed will reverse from existence to non-existence is still an unknown.

After all, although it may cause controversy, higher-dimensional life cannot be bound by normal logic.

At this moment, he gave a very pertinent conclusion:

"In the best-case scenario, we were inside for a few days and only a few days passed before we came out."

The Immortal Asked:

"What if something unexpected happens?"

The boy replied:

"I don't know."

"But the absolute stance of recording the recovery of time means that at least we will no longer face such an exaggerated rate of time flow."

Fu Hua sorted it out and understood the implication.

If the records are successfully retrieved, at least the setting of "the past thousands of years" will be erased, and the aberration of the increased time flow will also disappear.

The worst-case scenario they face is merely dealing with the initial time discrepancies, not the terrifying figures of tens of thousands of times greater than what they are experiencing now.

If we had come out sooner, perhaps it really would have been just a short trip.

Fu Hua gazed at the lush, misty greenery that seemed poised to dissipate at any moment, her lips slightly upturned:

"Then let's go."

Su Qing'an grasped her outstretched hand and whispered:

"Um."

Throughout the entire ordeal, the girl never offered a method to reduce the risk.

Before the Milky Way devours old dreams, and before dusk separates mountains and seas, the love hidden in the lonely clouds will always rise in the atmosphere, telling of her regret and sorrow that once overwhelmed reason, telling her...

This time, don't let go.

Therefore, even with sporadic dangers and the possibility of accidents.

Immortals would abandon everything they could to accompany him on his journey to the unknown mountains and seas.

Dusk was falling.

Two slender figures, silhouetted against the Fire Clouds sunset, seemed to be walking into a dark, deep sea, their outlines disappearing from view.

Thus began a journey that could last for who knows how many years.